Dilemma for Benefits Communications Central Virginia Employee Benefits Council March 5, 2008

A Looming Disconnect Increasingly complex benefit responsibility for employees Wider use of “new media”

Choosing Benefits

Example 25 year old single female new hire Full time $36,000 salary

Complex Decisions Which medical plan? $$ now and later? FSA/HSA/HRA? Do I save a % of my pay? How much is that? What investment funds to select? Can I buy more vacation? Do I have the right life insurance? Do I have to have disability benefits? Am I ever going to have fun again?

Difficult Financial Concepts Net pay Cash flow Pre tax Investment funds Tax bracket Eligible claims Year end carryover Deductible Reasonable & customary fees

Where Do They Get Their Information?

Information in Age of Aquarius Boomers (over 45) –Meetings –Handouts –Booklets –Local community contacts –Internet –Videos –Peers

Information in New Media Gen X and Millennial (under 45) –Peers –Cell phones –Text messages –Online communities –Blogs – s –Internet –Podcasts –Print –Video –Meetings

New Media Technology based Mobile Interactive User-generated Wireless Peer to Peer Instant Speed

New Media Blogs Podcasts Sound Video Text Messaging Networks Online Communities Craigs list Vault ITunes –NPR rebroadcast YouTube Otair Omnilert Wesabe

New Media

Blocking & Tackling Who’s your audience? What’s your message? What behavior needs to occur? What does the audience pay attention to? Or getting to “open” What media is available? Timing? Budget?

25 Year Old New Hire??? Millennial Generation X

Questions?

Dilemma for Benefits Communications Jackie P. Jackson